spiritual encounters

[Holy Babylon]

Well I see images of shrines in follower's closets, mutilation of chickens, and other stuff. I'm not being offensive, but it's literally all I know about Vodou.

[Clementine]

(01-06-2010 10:17 PM)Holy Babylon Wrote:  Well I see images of shrines in follower's closets, mutilation of chickens, and other stuff. I'm not being offensive, but it's literally all I know about Vodou.

We do have haltars, yes, but "shrines" would be incorrect, technically, so is the word altar, as the altars are generally for the lwa who are NOT worshiped, and shrine and altar usually both refer to worship. However we have to work with what English gives us. A vodou altar often has embroidered cloths, images of saints, statues, and dishes for incense and candles.

As far as mutilation of chickens -- we do have animal sacrifice, but it is carried out in a humane manner, with as little force as is necessary, as the sacrifices are then eaten -- much like a farmer would kill a chicken to feed his family. I'm not offended, there's a lot of misinformation out there. Before the Catholic church gave up it's anti-Vodou propaganda it did a lot of damage, and it was later picked up by slavemasters.

[rena]

(12-23-2009 04:07 PM)Azrael17 Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 03:22 PM)rena Wrote:  have you had a spiritual encounter with your deity other deities?
an exciting or atypical experience?

Do angels and the Jewish god-Yahweh count?

yes

---

for those of you that has a spiritual encounter via a "dream" what is it that you think visited you?

[Venedi Sporoi]

(01-07-2010 10:30 AM)rena Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 04:07 PM)Azrael17 Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 03:22 PM)rena Wrote:  have you had a spiritual encounter with your deity other deities?
an exciting or atypical experience?

Do angels and the Jewish god-Yahweh count?

yes

---

for those of you that has a spiritual encounter via a "dream" what is it that you think visited you?

If you mean to include me, then the deity whose name I invoked would be the main conclusion. As for the malignant thing, a spirit called a mora is known for visiting people as they sleep, and it offers at least a possibility. Still, only the lightning answering the God's name showed itself to be anything external.

[Aingeal]

(01-15-2010 08:30 PM)Venedi Sporoi Wrote:  

(01-07-2010 10:30 AM)rena Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 04:07 PM)Azrael17 Wrote:  

(12-23-2009 03:22 PM)rena Wrote:  have you had a spiritual encounter with your deity other deities?
an exciting or atypical experience?

Do angels and the Jewish god-Yahweh count?

yes

---

for those of you that has a spiritual encounter via a "dream" what is it that you think visited you?

If you mean to include me, then the deity whose name I invoked would be the main conclusion. As for the malignant thing, a spirit called a mora is known for visiting people as they sleep, and it offers at least a possibility. Still, only the lightning answering the God's name showed itself to be anything external.

Is the Mora anything like the Romanian Moroi or Moroaica?

And my encounter was a full on NDE, which gave me information I had no way of knowing, and Aine identified herself by way of a geis.

[Venedi Sporoi]

(01-17-2010 08:42 PM)Aingeal Wrote:  Is the Mora anything like the Romanian Moroi or Moroaica?

And my encounter was a full on NDE, which gave me information I had no way of knowing, and Aine identified herself by way of a geis.

Yes, there are often variations of the same word throughout Eastern Europe. Romanian folklore definitely has a strong Slavic influence, even if it has other cultural origins as well. The German Mahr is related, and the word "nightmare" is from a similar Old English variant, so it may be proto-Germanic-Slavic, or just generally something that's been scattered throughout Europe from times immemorial.

Now when you say by way of geis, I think my memory fails me, or at least the concept is complex enough to confuse me. The only thing I think of when I hear "geis" is the invocation of some force that assigned an obligation to you, or forbade something of you on pain of being accursed. How would a geis identify her?

[Deukal]

Nothing on a materialistic level, but i think ive felt my dieties spiritually.

[Deukal]

For instance, one time i felt a sort of inspirational feeling, as if i was more motivated. I credit that to a spiritual force at the very least, although describing it is rather difficult.